Face Value - The value stated on the face of a coin or note at the time of issue.

Fiat Money/Currency - Is money that has a value only because of government regulation or law. Today, all national currencies are fiat currencies, including the U.S. Dollar, and Euro, because they are not backed by a security such as gold.

Fineness - The degree purity of a precious metal usually expressed in parts per thousand. For example, an American Gold Eagle is .9167 fineness, which means it contains 91.67% gold and 8.33% other metals, in this case copper. Pure gold is expressed as .9999 or 9999 and is 24 karat.

Fine Gold - Indicates the fineness or purity of a gold coin or gold bullion. It means the gold item is a pure gold, 24 karat, or .9999 fine gold.

Fine Silver - Indicates the fineness or purity of a silver coin or silver bullion. It means the silver item is pure silver, 99.9% or .999 or higher.

Fine Weight - Is the precious metal weight of a coin or bar rather than the item's gross weight, which would also include contain any alloy metal. An example would be a one ounce Gold American Eagle, its fine weight (gold content) is 1 troy ounce, but is gross weight is 1.09 troy ounces. The weight of precious metal contained in a bullion bar or round, determined by multiplying the gross weight by the fineness.

Flan - A blank round in the size and shape of a coin also known as a planchet or blank.

Fractional Gold - Are gold coins that weigh less then 1 troy ounce. Think of it as fractions of a troy ounce. Most fractional gold comes in primarily three sizes, one-tenth, one-quarter and one-half ounce. Expect to pay higher premiums for the fractional gold versus the one troy ounce variety.

Fundamentals - The study of economic factors, which apply to business principals.

Futures Contract - Is also called Futures, is a standardized contract (details the quality and quantity) to buy or sell a particular commodity or financial instrument at a pre-determined price in the future. Futures contracts are available for each month of the year.